Method of applying markings to wrinkle finish coated bases



Jan. 16, 1951 w. E. OVERTON 2,538,378 METHOD OF APPLYING MARKINGS TO WRINKLE ISH COATED BASES File Oct. 10, 1947 nbenfur gl 3? UVETO.

Patented Jan; 16, 1 951 METHOD OF APPLYING MARKINGS TO WRINKLE FINISH COATED BASES Willis Edwin Over-ton, Baltimore, Md. Application October 10, 1947, Serial No. 779,134

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to a new and improved process for applying indicia such as markings, characters, symbols, lettering and like ornamentation to surfaces bearing conventional socalled wrinkle finishes.

Since the advent of the now conventional wrinkle finish, the problem of applying lettering and the like to articles bearing a finished coating of such wrinkle finish has been particularly baffling. As is known, these wrinkle finishes are baked on articles to be ornamented and while they present a very pleasing appearance, to the eye, they possess innumerable valleys and ridges which render the application thereto of such indicia as lettering and the like extremely difli- I cult.

It has been proposed to apply lettering and the like to these baked-on wrinkle finishes by conventional methods such as printing, stenciling, spraying and the like, but the results have been highly unsuccessful for the simple reason that the coating material employed as a marking or lettering paint has flown into the valleys of the wrinkle finish and produced indicia which are not at all clearly defined and which present a messy appearance.

At the present time resort is had to the extremely time-consuming and expensive process of engraving on these wrinkle finishes so that the characters applied thereto will be clear cut and will be set on from the background of wrinkle finish. in such engraving processes it is necessary to cut down through the baked-on wrinkle finish to the surface of the article which has been coated and then to apply a marking paint into the cut out portions. It is obvious that whether this engraving operation is carried out either manually or by machine, it is entirely too timeconsuming and expensive.

It is accordingly, one of the main objects of the present invention to apply indicia such as markings, lettering, symbols and the like to articles bearing wrinkle finishes in such a manner that the finished article closely simulates an actual engraving.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a process wherein lettering or other indicia nay be applied to articles carrying wrinkle finish in such a manner that the wrinkle finish is in no way aifected in areas where the marking or lettering paint is not applied.

Another object is to provide marking and lettering on finished wrinkle surfaces which will stand out clearly, distinctly and apart from the wrinkle surface.

A further object is to apply to the wrinkle surface a so-called marking or lettering paint which 2 will inhibit, in the area marked or lettered, the wrinkling of the wrinkle finish paint.

It is a still further object of the invention to displace the relatively expensive and time consuming methods now employed for lettering and marking articles having a baked-on wrinkle finish, with a quicker, easier and more economical process resulting in a more artistic finished article.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention are achieved by first applying to the article a coating of any conventional wrinkle finish and then allowing the coated article to dry until the wrinkle'finish has reached a predetermined condition of non-tackiness and at a point just before the surface of the coating begins to pucker up or wrinkle. At this point the coated article is removed from the drying source, whereupon the lettering or other indicia is marked on the incomplete but non-tacky wrinkle finish by any conventional means such as printing, stenciling, spraying, silk screen and the like. As soon as the lettering or marking has been applied it may be allowed to dry, the thus treated article is subjected to heat and the wrinkling process allowed to proceed to completion. In this way it will be found that in those areas to which the lettering or marking paint has been applied, the wrinkling of the underlying wrinkle finish is definitely inhibited so that, in the finished article, there is definitely no wrinkling in the applied lettering and that it presents a clear cut appearance, closely simulating actual engraving.

As stated, these so-called wrinkle finishes are conventional and the invention is in no way limited to any particular Wrinkle finish per se.

Aside from the many wrinkle finish compositions which may be found in the prior art, the following specific formulations may be employed:

Green wrinkle finish Pounds Chrome green Magnesium silicate 3 Gray wrinkle finish Pounds Lampblack 2.3 Titanium dioxide 43.? Calcium carbonate 138.3 Diatomaceous silica 46. Coal tar solvent 22.1 Petroleum solvent 198.9 Alkyd resin solution 540. Driers 8.

In the foregoing wrinkle compositions the coal tar solvent may be xylol, toluol, benzol, etc., while the indicated petroleum solvents may be naphtha, mineral spirits, etc.

The alkyd resin solution may be made up of any of the conventional and well known modified alkyd resins which, as is well known, are reaction products of a polyhydric alcohol, such as glycerine .or the glycols, and a polybasic acid, such as phthalic, maleic, succinic acids, etc., modified by a fatty oil such as China-wood oil, oiticia oil, or I fatty acids derived from such oils. 7

The driers may be metallic salts of naphthenic acids, such as manganese naphthenate 01' cobalt naphthenate.

It is also to be clearly understood that any marking or lettering paint could be employed so long as it is effective to inhibit the wrinkling of the undercoat of the wrinkle finish to which it is applied and so long as it drys and sets comparatively rapidly. Obviously, there are many marking or lettering formulations having the foregoing requisites and the invention embraces the use in the process of any marking or lettering paint of this character. In other words, no

novelty is alleged in any particular lettering or,

marking paint composition per se.

Found useful as marking or lettering paints are the following compositions:

White lettering paint Pounds Titanium dioxide 625 Zinc oxide 30 Resin solution A 375 Resin solution B 2-25 Solvent 95 Yellow lettering paint Pounds Chrome yellow 400 Zinc oxide 30 In the foregoing marking or lettering paint compositions, resin solution A is made up of any conventional thermosetting resin which will, under heat, be quickly cured to a very hard film. Typical of such thermosetting resins are the very well-known condensation products of formaldehyde and melamine, or urea and formaldehyde. The ingredients of these synthetic resins, as is well known, are partially condensed and polymerized, preferably in the presence of acid 01. alkaline catalysts, to form products which will further polymerize when heated to cure and set to form a very hard film. These thermosetting resins are likewise conventional and. no novelty is ascribed thereto.

Resin solution B in the foregoing marking or lettering paint is made up of well known conventional modified alkyd resins which are condensation products of a polybasic acid, such as phthalic, maleic, succinic acids etc. and a polyhydric alcohol such as glycerine and the glycols, usually with the addition of well known modifying agents such as China-wood oil, oiticia oils or fatty acids of these oils.

The solvents employed are preferably glycol ethers although, naturally, the invention is not limited thereto. Typical glycol ethers found well suited for the purpose are monomethyl ether of ethylene glycol, 'monoe'thyl ether of ethylene glycol, monobutyl ether of ethylene glycol, monoethyl ether of diethylene glycol and monobutyl ether of diethylene glycol.

In addition to the specific ingredients appearing in the foregoing marking or lettering formulations there is added, preferably, a small amount up to about 10 pounds in each formulation, of a material eifective to retard the setting of the composition should this be found necessary. Exemplary of materials effective to control the setting time in this manner may be mentioned calcium, zinc or aluminum naphthenates, mineral oil or blown castor oil.

As stated, it is to be clearly understood that the present invention is in no way predicated upon the use of any particular wrinkle finish or upon any particular marking or lettering paint, and patentable novelty of any and all of the compositions disclosed herein is specifically disolaimed. It is in the employment of a conventional wrinkle finish and a conventional marking or lettering paint in the particular procedural steps which constitute novelty in the present invention. In other words the process of the invention contemplates the application of any conventional wrinkle finish to any article, whether the article be metallic or non-metallic, the heating or drying of the applied wrinkle finish just up to the point where the finish loses its tackiness but before it starts to wrinkle, the cooling of the wrinkle finish at this point in instances where it has been preheated, the application to the cooled surface of the wrinkle finish of a marking or lettering paint in limited areas and effective to inhibit subsequent wrinkling of the wrinkle finish under the areas covered with marking or lettering paint, and then the heating of the composite coating to develop the wrinkle finish surrounding the area of the applied marking or lettering paint.

In describing a specific example of the process of the invention reference is now had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a cabinet having applied thereto markings and letterings embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional outline through a portion of the surface of the cabinet showing the structure of the lettering with regard to the surrounding Wrinkle finish; and

Figure 3 is a sectional detail of the wrinkle composition-before wrinkling has become apparent, said undeveloped wrinkle surface having an application of inhibiting marking material applied to selected areas.

In the process, according to one example of the invention, a conventional wrinkle paint II is first applied to the surfaces of the cabinet ID. The cabinet with the applied wrinkle paint or finish is placed in a conventional industrial baking oven and heated for a period of about 5 minutes at a temperature of about 250 F. or it may be dried by any of the conventional methods. At the end of this period the wrinkling paint will have lost its tackiness but will not have begun to wrinkle. At this time the cabinet, or other article, is removed from the oven and allowed to cool in the air for a relatively short period to a temperature of about 80 to 90 F. at which point the article may be safely handled by the operator. Then the marking paint I2 is applied to the fairly hardened, non-tacky filmed surface as by printing, stenciling, spraying, silk screen, free hand or otherwise in the conventional manner. When the marking or lettering paint has been applied to form the desired marking or lettering it is allowed to set and then the article is placed back into the baking oven and heated for a period of about -30 minutes at a temperature of about 250 F., whereupon the wrinkling action is allowed to proceed and become completed. Then the cabinet is removed from the oven and cooled. After it is cooled, the wrinkle finish will exhibit its customary surface without the lettered or marked area being affected in any way, The

marking is hardened to a smooth finish, distinctly set out by itself, as indicated in Figure 2. The wrinkle finish surrounds the marking contours right up to its outline l3 with a noticeable demarkation area or line l4. The marking material becomes firmly adhered to the wrinkle finish beneath it but is not afiected in any way by the wrinkling action.

1 It will be appreciated, of course, that the oven temperature in the initial heating period in the foregoing example may vary with the character for make-up of the wrinkle finish paint, and that likewise, the initial heating time may be varied accordingly. With any particular wrinkle finish the optimum temperature and heating time may be readily determined by simple experimentation. The period of cooling may likewise be varied as may also the period and temperature of final wrinkling.

, Any convenient source and type of heat may be employed in the process. Particularly good results are attained through the use of a series of infra-red bulbs in heating tunnels, or any of the conventional heating and drying methods may be used.

While but one general form of the invention is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, it is not desired to limit this application to this particular form or in any other way otherwise than limited by the scope thereof, as it is appreciated that other forms of construction could be made that would use the same principles and come within the scope of the appended claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my prior applications Serial Number 504,707, filed October 2, 1943 and Serial Number 513,901, filed December 11, 1943, both now abandoned.

What is claimed is:

1. A process for applying markings to an article adapted to bear a wrinkle finish which comprises applying a wrinkle composition to said article, subjecting. the coated article to a temperature of about 250 F. for a period of about 5 minutes so as to render the composition coating non-tacky, removing said article from the source of heat and allowing it to cool to a temperature from to F., applying a film of wrinkleinhibiting marking paint comprising a thermosetting resin, an alkyd resin, a solvent therefor and pigment, to selected areas of the coating, and then subjecting the thus treated article to further heat until wrinkling of the composition occurs.

2. A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thermosetting resin is a formaldehyde and melamine condensation product.

3. A process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the thermosetting resin is a urea and formaldehyde condensation product.

4. A process as set forth in claim 1, in which the alkyd resin is a fatty acid modified alkyd resin.

5. A process for applying markings to an article adapted to bear a wrinkle finish which comprises applying a wrinkle composition to said article, subjecting the coated article to heat for a period sumcient to render the wrinkle finish coating non-tacky but insuificient to initiate wrinkling action, removing the article from the source of heat and allowing it to 0001 until the article can be handled, applying a film of wrinkleinhibiting marking paint comprising a thermosetting resin, an alkyd resin, a solvent therefor and pigment, to selected areas of the coating, and then subjecting the thus treated article to heat until wrinkling of the composition occurs.

6. A process for applying markings to an article adapted to bear a wrinkle finish, which comprises applying a wrinkle composition to said article, drying the coated article for a period sufficient to render the wrinkle finish coating nontacky but insufiicient to initiate wrinkling action,

c applying a film of wrinkle-inhibiting marking paint comprising a thermosetting resin, an alkyd resin, a solvent therefor and pigment, to selected areas of the coating, allowing the marking paint to set and then subjecting the thus treated article to heat until wrinkling of the finish surrounding the marking paint has been developed.

WILLIS EDWIN OVERTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 16,760 Egelhofi Oct. 4, 1927 1,252,001 Hadfield et al Jan. 1, 1918 1,832,199 George Nov. 17, 1931 1,896,594 Root Feb. 7, 1933 1,950,417 Rootv Mar. 13, 1934 

1. A PROCESS FOR APPLYING MARKINGS TO AN ARTIELE ADAPTED TO BEAR A WRINKLE FINISH WHICH COMPRISES APPLYING A WRINKLE COMPOSITION TO SAID ARTICLE, SUBJECTING THE COATED ARTICLE TO A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 250* F. FOR A PEROID OF ABOUT 5 MINUTES SO AS TO RENDER THE COMPOSITION COATING NON-TACKY, REMOVING SAID ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE OF HEAT AND ALLOWING IT TO COOL TO A TEMPERATURE FROM 80* TO 90* F., APPLYING A FILM OF WRINKLEINHIBITING MARKING PAINT COMPRISING A THERMOSETTING RESIN, AN ALKYD RESIN, A SOLVENT THEREFOR AND PIGMENT, TO SELECTED AREAS OF THE COATING, AND THEN SUBJECTING THE THUS TREATED ARTICLE TO FURTHER HEAT UNTIL WRINKLING OF THE COMPOSITION OCCURS. 